[k1n0n3]

Sorry I can't agree on the Ortofon, simply because they can't match the Yamaha's in the bass dept.
I would recommend looking at the JVC FXZ100 or 200, they're not easily available outside of Japan at the moment and no real reviews, but look very promising

 

[Lifted Andreas]

They can.

The only difference is that it's not as tight as it is on the Yamahas.

I find that e-Q5s have warmer bass, and for my ears at least it's much more pleasant to listen to.

Also, if the Yamahas move even slightly from perfect insertion the bass just goes to crap.

 

[kiteki]

The JVC FXZ100 / 200 are triple driver designs, and a little bit pricy.
 
 
I'd recommend the JVC FXD70 or FXD80.  I'm not sure if anyone owns all three, sadly, i.e. EPH-100 / FXD70 / FXD80.

 

[Inks]

Ive had all three
 
FXD70>EPH100=>FXD80

 

[kiteki]

'kay, the FXD70 is the most balanced then, thx.

 

[daveyostrow]

Quote:

How is the XBA 3 compared to the Yamaha EPH-100? Anyone mind to share their thoughts? 

XBA3 i another tier up.

 

[Lifted Andreas]

My Yamahas are for sale guys!

 

[7S Cameron]

Quote:

Sony MH1C better sounding (and im one of the biggest proponents of how good the eph-100 is).  And it'll set you back les than £13.  No brainer really.

http://www.head-fi.org/t/632892/review-sony-mh1-the-best-kept-secret

I have the MH1Cs and I was considering buying the EPH-100s. Are the Sonys really better sounding? I've barely burnt them in since I've gotten them, but I love the sound so far.

 

[Lifted Andreas]

The cable on the Sonys will make you hurl, it's that bad!!

Avoid them at all costs, the cheap price tag just means that you can get something made of plastic and rubber which will just lie in your desk or cupboard for ages until you lose it or give it away.

 

[regiapemid]

Quote:

Loving this IEM so much - I have to wake up in less than 4 hours but am still listening to music. I feel like I'm "rediscovering" each track. So much more detail at all frequencies, and the instrument separation and sense of immersion is phenomenal. I remember appreciating an improvement in sound quality with my Monster Turbines, but nothing nearly as much as this. To my ears, these are head and shoulders above the SE215 and what I remember of the Turbines. Maybe I didn't spend enough time carefully listening to enough tracks, but the SE215 certainly never "WOW"ed me like these have.
 
I was thinking of making my next mid/hi-fi purchase the VSonic GR07, Fischer DBA-02/Brainwavz B2 or the UE TF 10 since many reviews and opinions place them and the EPH 100 in a similar region RE sound quality - but they all seem to be over-the-ear only. Over-the-ear just isn't my cup of tea, for a variety of reasons. Insertion and removal are more annoying, there's more cord touching skin, etc. Been eyeing the JVC FX700 since they're pretty well-regarded and straight-down, but $350 for a possibly-not-that-significant increase in sound quality... maybe not.

 
After 2 months, these IEMs are still amazing. Compared to all my other IEMs ($90 and under) it was like going from a 360p YouTube music video to a 720/1080p one. I did get the condensation problem though - sometimes the right or left side (usually right) would become heavily muffled. This happened several times, but each time it recovered completely after I let them dry out (I only timed it once; it took about 30 min to return to full functionality). Hasn't happened recently, but it's something to note.
 
I also bought the Etymotic MC3 last month, and after hours of A/Bing, the Yams blew them out of the water. It was similar to A/Bing with the Yams and the much cheaper Creative EP-630 (same thing as the Sennheiser CX300, they're all from a Japanese OEM) - the Yams destroyed them.
 
As for the next mid/hi-fi IEM, I picked the GR07. I decided that the BA design of the TF 10, DBA-02/B2, BA200, etc. wouldn't generate enough bass/sub-bass for my tastes (I listen to almost everything, but really want some thump for my trance/chillstep/etc.), and the GR07 is so well-regarded I pulled the trigger on the MKII revision two days ago for $180 shipped from Amazon. They arrived today, and after some brief initial testing one thing that bothered me was the sibilance. A bit of hissing from certain tracks. Also, the GR07 seemed less "clear" than the Yams. For example, I must've listened to the intro of Howie Day's "Collide" 10 times, and the guitar simply sounds sharper and clearer on the Yams. Very strange. But otherwise I thought the GR07's sound was pretty darn good. I'm running pink noise on the GR07s now, hopefully some burn-in will rid it of the sibilance and perhaps improve clarity. After some burn-in I'll do some more A/Bing for sure.
 
I also picked up the Sony M1HC, will be getting them soon. Time to see if it lives up to the hype!

 

[7S Cameron]

Quote:

The cable on the Sonys will make you hurl, it's that bad!!
Avoid them at all costs, the cheap price tag just means that you can get something made of plastic and rubber which will just lie in your desk or cupboard for ages until you lose it or give it away.

I think they're great headphones for the price. I actually don't mind the cable, I don't know why everyone hates it so much. The sound aspect is more important to me anyway.

 

[Lifted Andreas]

Well, for me they just don't stay in my ears because of that stupid cable always waving about all over the place.

It's way too heavy and akward.

 

[byunjoe]

 
 
 
Okay here's my first impressions and short review (after 1 week):

Background:
To understand my POV, I listen and produce mainly Electronic Dance Music. I do not listen to a lot of Classical (Except for OSTs) or Rock (Classic Rock is an exception).
 
First Impressions:
When I first put these in and listened to Below Us by Seven Lions, I was amazed at how clear the bass rumbles and kick punches me. The mids really bring out the 'bodies' of the bass and warm instruments. The only thing that caught me a little off guard was the treble. The treble felt like it had a high speed lfo (low frequency oscillator) attached to it, giving it a fast, fluctuating, vibrato like tone, strange. These are not-suprisingly tuned a lot like at type of studio monitors that Yamaha makes: the HS80Ms. This is ideal as I can basically have a portable studio now; I no longer have to worry about mastering issues when I produce music!

After 1 week of use:
Now, I am used to the sound. It is safe to say that the highs have a very 'electronic sound' if I have to describe it. The EPH's highs actually are pleasing me now, they give a very nice 'sizzle' to the music, it's great for Jazz and chillout! The bass used to be all over the place and booming, but it is now very controlled and balanced. With a little EQ, I can manage to bring out the bass a little more without any distortion or overlapping with the mids. I have tried amping this through a Mackie mixer and an American Amplifier amp. The highs become energized, the bass becomes wide, but the mids just seem to stay the same.
 
Comparisons to some mid-tier earphones:
Comparing to the Sennhiser CX300II; the EPHs have much more controlled bass, clear mids, and highs that are actually present. Comparing to the Monster Beats by dre Tour; the EPHs have less bass but the bass is clearer and the mids are not recessed. The highs seem a little bland in the Beats Tour. Comparing to the Klipsch Image S4; the Image S4 has low-volume, but the bass is very tight and flat. The mids of the Image S4 are muffled and the highs are a little more bland than the beats Tour. The EPH blows all these out of the water; only the Beats Tour can maybe win over some bassheads. Great value!
 
 

 

[regiapemid]

Doing some more A/Bing (too impatient to do any more burning-in tonight!) and the EPH sounds better than the GR07. The guitar in "Collide" sounds muffled or dampened on the GR07. Similar effect in "Under My Bed" by Meiko - the intro sounds much clearer on the Yams. The guitar intro in Michelle Branch's "Breathe" is markedly cleaner on the Yams. And when the vocal lines come in, they again sound sharper on the Yams. So on and so forth for other songs. After adding in my EP-630 into the testing, the GR07 is not as noticeably clearer than the EP-630 as the EPH is. Especially for The Duhk's "The Wagoner's Lad", which I have in .flac, the EPH is by far the sharpest, followed by the GR07, and then finally the EP-630.
 
To be fair, the Yams have had 2 months to burn-in, but I don't know if its possible for the GR07 to catch up. The sibilance is only part of the issue - I'm having a harder time A/Bing the GR07 with the EP-630 and noting a large improvement like I can between the Yams and the EP-630. The cable on the GR07 is better, though. Not sure if I'm going to hang on to the GR07.
 
Oh boy, just did a final A/B that absolutely seals the deal: "Cosas Que Suenan A..." by Maldita Nerea. I just A/Bed the intro about 4-5 times per IEM. The Yams are far and away the clearest, the guitars are crisp and twangy. The GR07's guitars are definitely muffled in comparison. The EP-630 is even more muffled - I'm now appalled that I used them so much in the past! On top of that, the GR07 exhibits sibilance in the first ~5 seconds, before the guitar line comes in. I'm definitely leaning towards returning the GR07 now. I really wanted to like the GR07 - I was pretty darn excited two nights ago when I ordered it. It just didn't perform in the end. I'll do some more tests tomorrow and decide if I want to keep the GR07 or not.

 

[AznInvasion138]

Hey regiapemid great comparison between the GR07 and the EPH-100. I've been deciding between the two of these for quite sometime and was just wondering how the comfort level and isolation was for you. I listen to mostly bass heavy music like hip hop and trance but still would like a great all arounder.